My Work

Spring ephemerals have to complete most of their life cycle in the early spring before the trees and understory shrubs leaf out and steal most of the available light. This is an incredibly tough time to be a plant. Soil temperatures are low which makes nutrient and water uptake difficult; all but the most robust pollinators are still sound asleep; and there is the danger of a hard frost or freak snow storm. These factors have led to some incredible adaptations in ephemerals.